Ylang-ylang ( Cananga odorata ), also referred to as the cananga tree, is a tropical tree native to the Philippines. It bears star-shaped, yellow blooms used to make essential oils and other products. A farm that grows this tree is EA Real Agrofarm, a 3.3-hectare natural farm in Real, San Luis,...
In San Fernando, Pampanga, a longtime gardener grows a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in her residence. Read about her gardening journey here Among the crops that Medge de Vera, 56, grows is pomegranate ( Punica granatum ). When you see her garden, you’ll know that de Vera...
There are innumerable farms across the country, some have failed, while others have thrived. Some choose to take the conventional route, while others have advanced on practicing natural or organic farming. Speaking of organic, compared to traditional or natural farming, being organic requires...
Viola Fern U. Sebastian, 54, and her partner Frianina ‘Nina’ V. Resplandor, 52, used to practice their respective careers before life ushered them to a path toward agriculture. Breaking into a different industry isn’t easy. Sebastian, an interior designer by profession, and Resplandor,...
The province of Zambales is widely recognized for its sweet mangoes. Found in between the towns of San Marcelino and San Antonio in Zambales, Rosa Farms has been growing mangoes since the early 2000s. This 12.5-hectare farm, as the owners say, “is home to 888 mango trees, most of...
When the farming simulation game FarmVille was a craze in 2010, a Canada-based couple bought a farm in Bulacan, not to play, but to start farming in real life. Spouses Shirley B. Ocampo and Juancho B. Ocampo, who were living overseas at the time, were offered a property in Bulacan during one...
George Allen M. Callora, 28, an agripreneur from Davao City, is a fan of anything spicy. In hopes of consuming spicier chilies, he collected seeds of superhot chili varieties from different parts of the world and grew them in containers. George Callora, 28, is a full-time agripreneur...
It takes time for one to move forward after losing someone they love. People have their own ways to grieve. For Eduardo “Daboy” Odi, growing a garden with his mother, Lorenza, was his way to cope with grief after his father’s death. His parents’ land in San Vicente, Camarines Norte has long...
Over the past years, coffee production in the country has been dwindling despite the growing demand for it. Aging farmers, coffee growers switching to other crops, and conversion of agricultural land to real estate are all contributing factors to this decline. In a bid to address these...
Daryl Balmoria-Garcia, an architect and registered environmental planner, and her husband, Jose D. Garcia Jr., a policeman in the Mandaue City Police Office, have been growing plants ever since they got married. In their residence’s limited space, they practice vertical gardening to cultivate...
Bryan John Dizon, 38, worked for various companies in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and banking industries prior to his involvement in poultry farming. Dizon was first exposed to chickens when his family members used to raise them for cockfighting. As a result of this exposure, he...
Plants, however big or small, provide growers with food, clean air, and a better state of mind. Amid these trying times, more folks have started to view gardening as a hobby that’s good for the soul. Joanne G. Blanco, 29, a primary care physician, started growing plants in 2014 when she was still...
